Theresa May has picked the first defining fight of her leadership—and it is the same one that David Cameron chose. But, as I say in The Sun today, she has picked the opposite side from him: in favour of, not against, more grammar schools.
Cameron’s opposition to more grammar schools infuriated many Tories, particularly those who were grammar school educated. They objected to a privileged public school boy telling them that they couldn’t be more of the schools that had done so much for them.
May, by backing grammars, is sending out a very different message. She is showing these Tories that she’s one of them, a grammar school girl. As one Number 10 source puts it, ‘It is a bit of red—or blue—meat for the party’. Though, the proposals are far more sophisticated than just a simple return to the 11 plus.
The Cameroons, though, are getting rather fed up with—what they see as—May defining herself against them. Nicky Morgan, Cameron’s last education secretary, will speak against the plans on Monday.
At the moment, other Cameroons are reluctant to pick a fight with the new regime so early on. They also know that most Tory members agree with May on grammars. But one Tory moderniser warns, ‘By the time we get to having votes on this, it will be a few months on and we might be looking for something to coalesce around.’
One place where these changes are sure to run into opposition is the Lords, where there is no government majority. These plans weren’t in the Tory manifesto so the Lords will feel free to oppose them.
If May is going to get these changes through, she is going to have to persuade people that they will improve education for all pupils not just the most academically able.
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